Merry Christmas

This year has been such a big one, it seems to have gone so quickly that I can't remember half of the stuff that happened. I have a few things to say before I wish you merry christmas.

1. Thank you for reading my blog this year, it's been nice to know that someone cares about my opinions and you've all made me so happy this year. I remember seeing that I'd gotten a view from Sweden and I threw my hands in the air and scream and somehow in the process managed to punch my brother in the jaw as he was trying to ask me a question. I can't believe how well my blog has done in so little time. Thank you so much to everyone and to those who don't know me personally, thank you even more for coming back and reading my blog and supporting me.

2. Please, please buy forever yours by Alex Day on itunes, especially all you british people. He's a really funny guy on youtube and all the funds go to world vision so it's definetley a good cause.

3. Merry christmas and good luck for the new year. I hope everyone has a great christmas and that you can remember all the great things that christmas brings. Best wishes!

Word of the Day
Merry
adjective (merrier, merriest) 1. full of cheer or gaiety; festive; joyous in disposition or spirit.
2. laughingly cheerful; mirthful; hilarious.
3.  Archaic pleasant or delightful: merry England.
4.  Colloquial slightly intoxicated.
–phrase 5. make merry, to be festive. [Middle English meri(e), myrie, murie, Old English myr(i)ge pleasant, delightful]
–merrily, adverb
–merriness, noun

Short Story 2.

You'd Let Him Kill You

He possesses a strange integrity, one that keeps his mouth closed and his teeth gritted. His charm outweighs all else about him but keeps him quiet and beautiful. His probity and kindness is overwhelming and his appearance is outstanding. Yet he is strangely predatory, when he stares at you he's not looking at your figure but as he stares his tongue strokes the top of his mouth and caresses his lips. You'd let him kill you.

"He's special that one," says your friend Elaine, she looks at him as he walks past you, her eyes trailing away with him. You smile at her and laugh a little as she comes back to face you.

"Yeah, he is..." you say and take your place at the cafeteria table. He watches from his spot across the room, his eyes are smouldering with a strange kind of hunger. You wonder why he's not eating the pizza special that the canteen lady cooked specially for all of you. His stare is completely focused on you and you feel a small, electric pang in your heart. You blush and he smiles at you but he is not fixated on your eyes but your neck. He gets up from his table and begins to walk towards you. His black hair flops a little over one eye, forming a stark contrast between his dark hair and ivory skin. He sits down at your table; you look at Elaine and giggle quietly. You notice his unnaturally crimson eyes but you think it must be the light.

"Sophie, would you like to meet with me after school this afternoon?" He asks you, his tone is so shockingly formal and his voice is rich like chocolate.

"Sure thing," is all you manage to stutter out. You’re blushing more than ever now and he hugs you gently but you know he's sussing out your neck.

That afternoon he's standing out the front of your Latin class, "salve," he greets you and you laugh. He wraps his arms around you to shield you from the cold and you walk along with him. You walk out of the school and past the hundreds of students making their way to buses, trains or cars. You head for the train station. You barley utter a word to him, you're all too pleased that you managed to get together with this gorgeous guy. He leads you round the back of the train station, his hands are as cold as ice and yet you hold onto them as tight as you can. He leans in to kiss you, his hands grab your waist and you place your arms around his neck. His head leans gently against your neck and suddenly there is a small prick and he is drawing your life away. Your blood is rushing out of your body and you feel the odd sensation of a balloon deflating. He throws your body into a dumpster. You are empty, surrounded by food scraps and old magazines.

You let him kill you.

The Revival!

I've realised that I have left this blog to die... but I have plans to revive it! Recently my life has reached the paramount of busyness (yet experienced in my life) and my brain has been filled with study notes and not blog ideas. But an idea came to me recently and this was to tell you all what I had been doing while I have been so busy. Paramount is probably the wrong word to describe my busyness, because although I have had exams, year twelve have been doing their evermore stressful HSC. So now to what I have been doing over the last three months...

1. Listening to music yet again. On my first day of exams I went straight to the shops and bought this new and brilliant album, 'Mylo Xyloto' from Coldplay. This album is comfortable and easy to listen to and I would give it a 8/10. It was also an interesting move for the band to feature Rihanna in one of their songs, 'Princess of China'. The song that is inserted below is 'Every Teardrop is a Waterfall', a personal favourite from the album.

2. I made the unfortunate discovery that both Irn Bru and Marmite have released new products. Fiery Irn Bru, which is a spicy and "fiery" version of original irn bru, was recently released as a limited edition drink. Marmite XO was also released, this spread is extra old, meaning it has a stronger, more mature taste. I am very dissapointed that I will not be able to try these products for a while yet as I am trapped on a far away island (Australia).

3. I admit that I watch 'Friends' to an extremely dangerous amount (I may even be addicted), I watch it without fail every morning and night. I'm not even exagerating.

4. Of course I have been studying, Latin, Science, Maths, English and just about every other subject constantly seemed to need my attention.

Sadly, now I look back at my time over the last three months, all I've done is study, watch exessive amounts of television, listen to Coldplay and sulk that I can't by food that I want, all this and some time to hang out with friends (my real ones not the ones on the television).

Please give me ideas for the next post by commenting below, I've changed the setting so everyone can comment now so I want to see comments!

Thank you for reading!

Word of the Day

ameliorate (say uh'meelyuhrayt)
verb (ameliorated, ameliorating)
–verb (i) 1. to become better; improve.
–verb (t) 2. to make better; improve; meliorate.
–ameliorable, adjective
–ameliorant, noun
–ameliorative, adjective
–ameliorator, noun

How George Orwell's 1984 Shaped the World We Know

Most of you probably have never read 1984 by George Orwell. I must admit, neither have I. I have started reading it twice but I can't get past the main characters Varicose Ulcer. Anyway, ulcers aside, 1984 is a brilliant and well written classic that has greatly influenced the modern world.

Basically 1984 is about the life of Winston Smith in the year 1984 after a global nuclear war. Winston lives in Airstrip 1 (Britain) where they are ruled by a mysterious and moustachioed Big Brother. It also features a romance between Winston and a lady called Julia and Winston's large and apparently rather annoying ulcer.

1984 influences us in more ways than I'm sure we think;

1. Since the release of 1984 words, terms and concepts from the book have been coined in modern language such as;
Big Brother: A dictator, especially one who tries to control people's private lives and thoughts.
Doublethink: The postulated ability to accept two contradictory facts simultaneously, especially as it is assumed to be demonstrated by politicians and businesspeople.
Thougthcrime: An illegal type of thought.
Newspeak: word or expression, especially one coined as the latest jargon of officialdom, which is usually euphemistic or attempting to put a gloss on an unpleasant fact, as in downsize for retrench.
Memory hole: A mechanism for the disposal of embarrassing or irrelevant documents or any other records.
Orwellian:  "Orwellian" describes the situation, idea, or societal condition that George Orwell identified as being destructive to the welfare of a free society.

2. The TV show Big Brother which is heavily influenced by the character Big Brother in 1984. It is easy to tell this because of the nature and plot of the show. In Big Brother contestants are constantly watched by "big brother" as are the people in 1984.

3. Several bands have written songs or albums based around the ideas and concepts in 1984. Songs such as 2+2=5 by Radiohead, 1984 by The Kooks, Citizen Erased, Resistance and United States of Eurasia by Muse and Testify by Rage Against the Machine. Albums written about 1984 include Diamond Dogs by David Bowie, The Resistance by Muse and Year Zero by Nine Inch Nails.

4. Several other elements of popular culture feature idea and concepts from 1984 such as the films 1984 (1956) and Nineteen Eighty-four (1984). Several books such as 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami and 1985 by Anthony Burgess. Several television shows such as Room 101 and an Apple add called 1984. Several video games, comics, films and art pieces have also been influenced by 1984. Even to my surprise the popular computer game Sims Societies is ever so slightly based off 1984!

If you are interested in finding more out about how 1984 influenced the modern world and popular culture I would advise you visit this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen_Eighty-Four_in_popular_media and pick up a copy of the book.

Word of the Day

Discombobulate: (say diskuhm'bobyoohlayt)
verb (t) (discombobulated, discombobulating) Colloquial to upset, confuse (a person). [Mock-Latin formation.? from discompose or discomfort]

Thanks for reading

Short Story

Recently I've taken an interest in writing short stories, whenever I have a spare moment I can almost always be found attached to my phone or iPod tapping away at the screen. So here goes, my first story... it doesn't have a name but if anyone wants to suggest one please comment.

Short Story 1.

"Do you always do this?"
 
"Do what? You mean talk to myself, yeah I always do that when I'm alone."
 
"You don't want to be the odd girl who dresses like a boy and talks to herself, do you now?"
 
"So what if I did?"
 
'Soldiers Poem' by Muse plays in the background of my mum's car. I'm old enough to drive but I don't care. Mum takes me everywhere except school; most of the time I just don't go. I used to care about 'education' but now I just thinks it's a waste of my bloody time. My mum says that sometimes it takes time to get where you want to go but I don't see anywhere I want to go. Matt Bellamy's strong voice and the bands steady beat accompany me as I turn to talk to the voice that echoes from the back of the car. It's my sister but then again it always is; often I wish I wasn’t a twin because having a twin is liking have a voice in the back of your head all the time. I look at her, she's pretty and even though I look exactly like her I'm not. Her hair is brown, so is mine but hers is shiny and soft to touch whereas mine is oily and all clumped up in knots. Her eyes are hazel, so are mine but hers are brighter and always compliment her smile whereas mine are dull and do a pretty good job at frowning. Her skin is olive coloured, so is mine but hers is smooth and golden whereas mine is pimply and has a lot of scabs on it. She's a prefect at my high school and I'm the kid who never turns up. She's the one my parents know will succeed and I'm the reason they are glad they had my sister as back up. She's the one with the boyfriend who loves her and I'm the one whose parents think will end up in an abusive relationship. She's the one who is trying to get into Oxford and I'm the one who's trying to get a job at Macca's. She's the one that when we were kids would sit inside and play Barbie's and I'm the one who climbed the tree, fell out, broke her arm and was dumb enough do it again the day I got my cast off and the doctor said I was better. I guess I already knew that my parents were certain I'd fail at life along time ago. My sister leans over from the back seat and turns off the cd player. I glare at her and she moves her finger across her mouth and then smiles to show me that I should be smiling too. I don't but she can't help that, no not my sister, she's perfect. She hates my music, she likes everything else and I just have to put up with it. She always talks about how if I liked what everyone else liked then I could go back to school and be cool like her. But her plan is flawed mostly because I don't bloody like what everyone else does. I don't know when I made the decision to stuff life in a draw and do something else. Maybe it was when I fell out of the tree. Maybe it was the second time I fell out of the tree. It could have been the time I nicked the fiver out of my mum's purse to buy ice cream. Possibly the time I chucked that coke can at my sister and now she has a Harry-Potter-style scar on her forehead. Could it have been when I skipped school for the first time. No, they're all wrong... I know when it was. It was when I was one, a long time ago but I remember it like it was yesterday. I remember pushing my little body up towards the sun in our backyard, my parents ran over to me. They loved me, they were proud of me but no that was when I saw my sister out of the corner of my eye. My sister sat up and lifted her body up on her insy legs and they all went, my parents rushed to her... my moment disappeared and that's when I gave up on life.
 
"Oi Kate put the music back on!" That was my voice.
 
"No way Amelia!" The way she said my name almost pierced my heart like an arrow. I fiddled with the dial on the stereo, mum got in the car and suddenly Kate was switching seats with mum and I was sitting next to Kate. I slapped Kate with my hand and watched as my sharp nails scratched her perfect skin. She started the car - of course she was bothered to learn how to drive. Kate revved the engine and then proceeded to drive down the main street of our home town. I remembered when I was a year seven walking down these streets. I pulled my socks up and pulled my phone out of my pocket. I sent a text to Kate, I told her to run and catch up to me because she was further down the street. While I waited for her I thought about my friends, Kayla, Marie, Sylvia and Hannah. I came out if the flashback and settled back into reality. I looked down at my feet and saw my sisters practice graduation sheet. It read;
Kayla Murray - Head prefect
Sylvia Darlington-Smith - Music captain
Marie Mertastorlis – taken from us (2015)
Hannah Strosspiper - Dux of school 2015
 
My eyes watered for all of them, I shed a tear and almost wished that I was still with them. But then Kate swerved, the car hit a streetlight and the back swung round from the pressure and banged up against the car next to it. Kate screamed and her foot pressed down on the accelerator by accident and we sped forward into the window of one of the main shops, dragging with us a long row of bunting that had been hung across the bottom of the window. I was shocked but I knew what to do as I reached over two Kate and shook her - no response.
 
I blinked my eyes and woke up. I bounced out of bed and shook Kate, it was the first day of year seven and I was pumped. I remembered the dream and shook, I can talk to myself and be who I am but I will never let that come between Kate and I. Kate's eyes opened and I pulled her out of bed and we danced around the room screaming at another “the first day of year seven”.

Word of the Day

 Debonaire–adjective

1. courteous, gracious, and having a sophisticated charm: a debonair gentleman.

2. jaunty; carefree; sprightly.

 

Thanks for reading!

.

Doctor Who Rating Mistake

I found out today that there was a glitch or something simliar with Foxtel that resulted in its TV Guide reading that this weeks episode of Doctor Who was rated MA. I would like to apologise and to tell my readers that this weeks episode of Doctor Who is rated PG and then Doctor Who will take a two or so month break.

Thanks

Is It Right for the BBC to Produce a MA rated Doctor Who Episode?

As many who watch Doctor Who may know, the next episode 'A Good Man Goes to War' is rated MA 15+, after discussing this with some viewers of the program who I know we have come to the conclusion that this may have been a bad move on the part of thr BBC.

By making the show MA rated for even one episode it will make the entire box set MA rated as well which will decrease the number of people who buy it because they will be concerned about their children watching it. Also, Doctor Who's main viewers are children and teens, some of these viewers are not over the age of fifteen yet and their parents may not let them watch Doctor Who this week which would mean that they could miss out on the most thrilling episode of the season so far and also miss out on some of the plot.

This topic also makes me raise the question - what in the episode has made it MA rated? Is it the possible birth scene? Could it be finding out who River is? Maybe there's a lot of swearing? On the whole I think that it almost makes the episode more intriguing, could this be a clever ploy by the BBC to pull more viewers in. Maybe the BBC thought that by making a MA rated episode of Doctor Who they could attract more, older viewers who would be wondering what's happening that is so bad or possibly good in this usually family friendly show.

Personally, I don't care. I'll be watching 'A Good Man Goes to War' this weekend no matter what anyone says or what it's rated. But the main issue for me is... What effect will this have on Doctor Who's ratings? With less viewers because of the lack of children watching Doctor Who it could possibly lead to mistakenly showing that the shows ratings were rappidly decreasing. Whatever happens, I'll be watchting this week and I'm sure the BBC will find their way around this small issue. I don't think it is wrong to make an episode that most of Doctor Who's target audience can't watch but could this be one massive mistake for the BBC? I guess I'll have to watch the episode!

If you have any comments or would like to offer your own opinion on the subject please feel free to comment and I ought to reply! But please don't spoil the episode for me because it hasn't come out over here and I want to wait.

Word of the Day

 Megalomania (say meguhluh'mayneeuhsay meguhluh'mayneeuh)
1. a form of mental alienation marked by delusions of greatness, wealth, etc.
2. a mania for big or great things.

P.S. For all you Doctor Who fans, here's the teaser trailer for the next half of the season -

I CAN'T WAIT

My Guide to Europe

On my recent holiday to Europe I stopped in France, Scotland, England and then on the way back I had a couple of hours in Abu Dhabi. I had some great experiences and some odd experiences, so here's my guide to Europe;

1. Go into every giftshop you can, by all means go into the actual museum or exhibit but the giftshop always have cool gadgets and nick nacks, particularly pens and rubber ducks.

2. Go to wherever you really want to, if there is somewhere, just one place you are desperate to go that you can manage. On my trip I went to Teignmouth, the town where Muse grew up and also to a guitar shop in Exceter, it may have taken a total of eight hours driving but it was a fantastic experience.

3. Try Irn Bru, it is probably the best drink ever made. It is made in Scotland and as the slogan says "it's made from girders". Irn Bru is a fantastic drink that can be found in almost all shops in Scotland and can be found in supermarkets and some shops in England.

4. Go to Pret A Manger, this very healthy fast food option is a fantastic way to eat healthy and eat cheap. Pret specialises in food cooked in the Pret Kitchens, I reccomend the Hot Swedish Meatball Rap, it is really tasty and nice for cold British weather.

5. When in France I can only reccomend living off only croissants, baguettes and cheese for a few days. Crispy croissants from a local bakery are good in the morning with jam or without. There is a great variation of cheese in France and I must admit that my family bought a bit to much cheese and we ended up taking some back to England. Baguettes are a beautiful french food and they are much more than just simple bread, baguettes have a lot of flavour and can work for breakfast with jam, for lunch with cold meat and for dinner with some nice bruschetta or bbq chicken.

Word of the Day

Pseudonym: Noun, an assumed name adopted by an author to assume his or her identity. (syoohdunim).

 

Thanks for Reading!

 

My Top 5 of Everything

Sorry about not posting in a while but I've been away on a trip to Europe where I must say I have been inspired by the culture but also the music I listened to on the way, it was a great experience.

Music

Music should play an important role in everyones lives, it should be something to relax to, something to start an uprising to, something to sing with friends and something to let out every emotion you've got in you. For me music is there to compliment every side of my life and any mood I'm in, my top 5 are:

1. Exogenisis Symphony II, Muse -
I always listen to this song, I would say it is the song I always go to on my iPod, I can't not listen to it everytime I get on the train or in the car for a long trip. Once on a letter box drop for the local school I started listening to Exogenisis Symphony II and in about the middle of the section with lyrics I look around hesitantly and then punched the air triumphantly before realising that there was a man looking out of his car at me, a very embarassing moment I must say.

2. Na Na Na (na na na na na na), My Chemical Romance -
I love to listen to this song whenever I can particularly chased by Bulletproof Heart which  is also by My Chemical Romance. They are a great band and this song is the perfect song for any party, with it's steady beat and easy to remember chorus. Also may I add that Gerard Way has possibly the coolest hair in the world and their video clips are fantastic, if you are interested also check out the video clip for "Sing" also by My Chemical Romance, it is truly fantastic.

3. Firework, Katy Perry -
I believe this song is truly inspiring, everytime I listen to Firework it makes me feel like I can do anything in the world. The strong beat and triumphant voice of Katy Perry makes this song easy to listen to and to and perfect to relax to. When I listen to this song I think of everything I have ever lost and everything I could ever gain and makes the world fall into perspective, the world belongs to those who are different!

4. Unintended, Muse -
As you can probably tell Muse is my favourite band, they inspire me always. This song is fantastic and I love it, it is so romantic and sweet and everytime I hear it makes me tingle with excitement and embarassingly I always sing along really loudly because it's so great. It is definetley the song to listen to when you are in a good mood.

5. Viva La Gloria, Green Day -
Always a great song to listen to, on my travels through Europe we only had a Muse CD, a Green Day CD and a Katy Perry CD so you can see where some of the favourites have their roots. Viva La Gloria, I have always believed is strong, maybe I'm getting the wrong message but I always think it is about how love can last wars and jump barriers.

Movies

I don't watch many movies and when I do they are often repeats of favourites. Movies are a great form of inspiration and they can also be escapism. My top five are:

1. Ferris Bueller's Day Off -
I'm not sure about the quality of this clip but it ought to be okay. Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a true classic, poignant yet hilariously funny and brilliantly witty. It tells the tale of Ferris Bueller who desperatley wants a day off school and pulls an epic sicky which lands him on a marvelous adventure through chicago with his friend Cameron. A must see for all fans of true and proper comedy.

2. Howl's Moving Castle -
This great movie by Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki is about a young girl, Sophie who works at a millinery is suddenly transformed into an old lady and begins an adventure of a life time with a mysterious boy, Howl who lives in a moving castle. This magical and unique movie is a must see for anybody.

3. St. Trinians -
A fantastic movie set in my favourite country of all, England. St. Trinians is a fantastic movie full of adventure and really funny. The two lead actresses, Talulah Riley and Gemma Arterton compliment each other perfectly and the movie really shoes that any girl can be a bit wild. The movie follows perfect Annabelle Fritton to her Aunt's school, St, Trinians which she considers to be a barbaric place but as she survives the girls pranks and learns the ways of St. Trinians she becomes one of the gang. St. Trinians needs money and a quiz show can give St. Trinians the key to the money they need. A fabulous movie that lets everyone enjoy the adventure and fanstasicly funny.

4. Never Let Me Go -
A remarkable movie adapted from the book by Kazuo Ishiguro. This movie tells the tale of a young student at Hailsham school which hides a dark secret. As she grows up and learns Hailsham's secret she and her friends discover who they are and what they can never be, it's a touching movie that makes every emotion that you've got in you burst but always rememeber to have a box of tissues handy.

5. The Lion King -
When I was off school one day sick I went to the library and picked up The Lion King 2 from the shelves and watched it and from that day I can savely say that I have watched it hundreds of more times but I discovered not longer after that day that there was a movie before that. The Lion King is a greet movie, not just for children but adults can enjoy as an inspiring movie about getting over the loss of a loved one, coming to terms with power and making new friends. A must see for absolutely everyone.

Books

Books should be something for everyone to enjoy, if you don't read try picking up one of these books. All the books I have chosen have really had a part in my life, I love them and I think everybook has a lesson to teach us.

1. The Evernight Series, Claudia Gray -
Starting with Evernight, then Stargazer, followed by Hourglass and then rapping up with Afterlife this series of books is a fantastic tale of how love overcomes boundaries. It tells the story of Bianca Olivier who has recently moved to the eery Evernight Academy and her lover, Lucas as they overcome everything life and death throw at them. I believe that it teaches us that love overcomes everything and that to be with the person you love you have to except everything about them. I reccomend them to anybody with an interest for a page turning read and a thirst for vampire knowledge.

2. Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson -

Even though I grew out of this book when I was about ten I still returned to it whenever I could because everything in it seemed so sad and I think I just liked the story. It tells that tale of a girl who has an arguement with her best friend and then sees her run over by a car as she runs across the street, the girl is weighed down by guilt but she soon realises that Vicky wasn't that greater friend after all. I think this teaches us that sometimes losing people can make us know more about them.

3. Twilight, Stephanie Meyer -

I know what you are think 'turn of the computer now, there's no point, she's just another twilight fan' but here's where I will prove you wrong. People say Twilight is poorly written and sure... the grammars not perfect, she could use better language but the story itself is brilliant and evokes so much emotion whether good or bad, love or hate that it is truly a masterpeice in that sense. Twilight has inspired millions of teens to read, without this book many teens would still be able to say that they had never finished a book in their life, think about all the people this book has inspired and all the books born out of the vampire fad which we all love, this is the modern core of them.

4.The Infinite Wisdom of Harriet Rose, Dianna Janney -

This fantastic tale of dealing with superstardowm while being a school-going teenager and a philosopher shows that you can't be everything but you can be everything you want to be. It takes us through an interesting snippet of the life of teenage prodigy, Harriet Rose who recently got her book of meditations published by her adoring mother and grandmother as a birthday surprise. As a way of dealing with the death of her beloved father she starts to right a book of meditation which will change her life forever but in a good way or a bad way? A must read for all who have a passion for a great story of success and how to deal with it.

5. The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins -

This story evokes every kind of emotion as it leads us through the story of Katniss Everdeen, a girl from district 12. who's sister is put forward to take part in a brutal battle of the districts called the Hunger Games, when Katniss steps forward to take her place she wonders if she will ever see life in the same way again and about how tommorow will be. A triumphant tale for anyone and everyone who enjoys a pageturning book that will keep you wanting more.

TV Series

Ah TV, always there for us when we need some down time. TV is a great way to take a break from reality and enjoys someone elses for a change, my favourites are:

1. Doctor Who -

Who (get it) could go past this brilliantly writtten classic British Sci-fi show without dropping into the TARDIS. It is pure brilliance, every episode a new and marvelous thing with some reocurring characters but mostly new ones everyweek. Doctor Who is about the life of a Timelord, The Doctor who is the last of his kind but is having fun floating through time and space with a new companion every few years. Don't miss this fantastic new series. Also to add, R.I.P. Elisabeth Sladen, Sarah-Jane Smith from Doctor Who and the Sarah-Jane adventures, you will be missed.

2. Raising Hope - 

This great new show about a young man who goes out to buy ice cream one night and ends up with the daughter of a serial killer nine months later is a great tale of how sometimes the people who seem less happy have the most fun.

3. Modern Family -

This show is phenomanally succesful, it takes us into the life of Jay, Gloria and Manny who haven't been together very long, Phil, Clare, Hailey, Alex and Luke who are a typical family with real personality and Cameron, Mitch and Lilly who are a different yet really chararcterful family. This show is not to be missed.

4.The IT Crowd -
The IT Crowd is a hilarious comedy about the IT department at Reynholm Industries. Moss is extremely nerdy and partnered with Roy who is his good friend who also works in the IT department, Jenn has just become the head of IT department and is coming to turns with her new job.

5.Frasier -
Even though this show is long finished and the actors have moved on to new roles I still think that it is one of best shows I have ever seen. I watch it every morning and I just finished watching it then, it follows the life of Frasier Crane, a radio psychiatrist and his family. You can by it at most DVD stores and it's one late at night on some foxtel channels.

Thank you for reading!

Rubber Ducks

I have collected rubber ducks for a long time now. My first word was duck so I feel that they have been an important part of my life. I now have 51 ducks and other duck shaped things. When asked why I collect rubber ducks I simply say "because I like them" and that is really and truly the only reason I collect them. This is some of my collection...

My favourite duck of all time is the leopard print one at the front, I got that one for Christmas a while ago and I have had it ever since. The yellow ones I bought for a dollar each from a duck fishing contest at a fair. The pride and joy of my collection is the large duck at the back, that duck I found for a great price and have had for over two years now. The oldest duck in my collection is a red one that is at the back, I have had that duck for eight years but sadly none of the ducks I had when I was little have joined my collection. My most comedically name duck is Ducktor Who, as a fan of the tv show I thought it would be fitting to buy this particular duck. I have only ever had three ducks given to me by friends, the first duck given to me by a friend was the red duck at the front which says "I <3 my friend", the next duck given to me was the duck decorated like a builder which sits at the back and I recently recieved a lovely white duck decorated with flowers. I would like to thank all that have given me ducks and plan to keep collecting for many years.

Word of the day;

Vex:  –verb (used with object)

1. to irritate; annoy; provoke: His noisy neighbors often vexed him.

2. to torment; trouble; distress; plague; worry: Lack of money vexes many.

3. to discuss or debate (a subject, question, etc.) with vigor or at great length: to vex a question endlessly without agreeing.

4. to disturb by motion; stir up; toss about.

5. to afflict with physical pain.

 

Thanks for reading.

Entertainment

Everyone has spare time, but what do we do during that time is up to us. I would like to share with you my favourite music, TV shows and other ways to pass the time.

Music: I spend a rather long time listening to music, particuarly anything by Muse. My opinion is that they are the best and most amazing band in the world and I can literally go on about them forever. My favourite Muse songs are Unintended, Citizen Erased and Micro Cuts but I also like Starlight and Exo-politics. I also enjoy Green Day and my favourite of their songs is Viva La Gloria, closely followed by 21st Century Breakdown. I don't have much tolerence for pop songs especially Justin Bieber's songs, I am ok with some pop songs though.

TV Shows: Right now I am sitting and watching Glee, so I should probably start with that even though it isn't my favourite show. I enjoy Glee, the song choices are generally good but last weeks Justin Bieber episode was atrocious. My second favourite show is Modern Family, which is a great and incredibly funny show. I think it is really well-scripted and I love the characters. My all time favourite show is Doctor Who, it is a wonderful show which is deep but also funny at times. It is a great show and I hope that it carries on for many years as it has already been on air for around 48 years. Another favourite show of mine is The Bill which recently drew to a close forever, it was a great show and I loved it.

Computer: Who doesn't spend most of their time on Facebook, the average person spends 55 minutes on Facebook a day. I also enjoy playing Sims 2, it is a great game and I can play it for a long time. Right now my sim's family has four generations and my sim town is going well.

Other: I also enjoy bike riding, I spend some of my weekend bike riding each week. I play a few musical instruments, these include the piano, double bass and flute, I enjoy practicing these instruments and also enjoy writing songs for piano or flute but I am not that great at it.

Thanks for reading!

Marmite

Marmite is that food you love or you hate. I don't think I could live without marmite, so why not share a brief history of Marmite and some tasty ways to eat it.

Marmite was first created in 1902 by the Marmite Foood company and ever since has been filling the tummies of people world wide. Now you can not just buy Marmite but also Marmite flavoured chips and many other Marmite flavoured foods. As well as food, Marmite Ltd. also sell books (recipe books, diaries and Marmite fact books). They also sell clothing (bike riding gear, t-shirts, running gear and babies and kids clothes).  Homewares from water bottles to toasters are also sold.

Personally I LOVE Marmite and I think these are the best ways to eat Marmite:

• Toast a piece of bread and then quickly spread with Marmite, then cover in cheese. This is also good in sandwich form.
• Marmite on mini toasts or saladas with cheese.

Really Marmite tastes good with everything, except prawns... if anyone wants to prove me wrong, sure.

You can also replace Marmite with vegemite though I would not suggest it.

Word of the day: Floccinaucinihilipilification; The action or practice of estimating as worthless. [Latin flocci, nauci, nihili, pili, all meaning `of small value' and listed in a rule of the Eton Latin Grammar]

Thanks for reading!

outside the square so far...

Thinking outside the square is a wonderful thing, I think that it is a way to express that you are not like everybody else and that there is something different about you or a way of thinking that could lead to an alternative answer.

I hope to share with you many of my hobbies and pastimes but also be more serious. I hope this blog will be 'an everything blog' as one of my close friends said. I would like to share with you my tastes in music - I really and I mean REALLY like Muse - I would also like to share cooking recipes because I love cooking, particularly sweet foods.

Basically what you can expect from my blog is everything, from cooking to current affairs and from music to marmite!

Word of the day: Marmoset;  any of various small, squirrel-like South and Central American monkeys, genera Callithrix and Leontocebus, and allied genera, with soft fur and a long, slightly furry, non-prehensile tail.

Thanks for reading.